Tamil Solidarity calls on UK to halt deportation flight to Sri Lanka

Tamil Solidarity calls for stay of deportation of UK asylum seekers fleeing the hands of Sri Lankan regime and its torturers on Wednesday, 28th September 2011

Solidarity and Protest Action Urgently Needed, see below

Tamil Solidarity is calling for an immediate halt to the mass deportation of over 50 people currently in detention. This forcible removal toSri Lankais organised via Charter Flight PVT 030 @ 15:00 hrs on Wednesday 28th September from Stanstead airport.

Little or no consideration is being paid to their safety or human rights. Below we provide an insight in to the various evidences and circumstances that would suggest the actions of the UKBA and the home secretary are ill advised.

(See action points at the end of this statement)

We are also writing to express our solidarity for all helpless ‘failed’ asylum seekers from various conflict zones around the world, being inflicted inhumane suffering and pain, while their basic human rights get trampled by imperialist political designs. The Con-Dem coalition’s cost cutting measures and the rampant privatisation of immigration services has also meant grossly inaccurate and unbalanced reports flying in the face of credible sources of information, basic human rights and justice.

As the recent international calls for accountability for recent War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity committed on Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan government remain unanswered, there is a mounting body of evidence of routine torture of civilians since Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s declaration of victory in 18th May 2009.

Tamil Solidarity notes that the UKbased organisation, Freedom from Torture, is to submit its clear findings and scientifically collected medical evidence to the UN Committee Against Torture, for its forthcoming examination of Sri Lankain November 2011.

This ‘test case’ mass deportation from theUK, where individuals are being prepared from various detention centres across theUK by an hitherto unknown private contractor on behalf of the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) poses grave danger to many of the threatened deportees.

No credible assessment for the would be deportees’ safety had taken place and No follow up procedures or due care seems to be in place.

Tamil Solidarity has also learnt of similar specially chartered flights destined for two other commonwealth countries, Nigeriaand Jamaicathrough the same airport using a private business delivering charted flight services.

Tamil Solidarity notes with deep concern, the emergence of a such corporate business model based on deportation and misery of others. Mass deportations are now common place in the case of Afghanistan, Iraq and the DR Congo with reports that one flight a week leaves for Afghanistan – it is big business.

There is a disgraceful total disregard for human rights. Sri Lanka, recognised by most credible human rights organisations as a failed state, continues to militarily terrorise its population.
Torture, kidnapping, rape and disappearances are still rampant while state sponsored violence has taken increasingly dangerous turns.

Action Urgently Needed

We demand legal action for immediate stay of deportations in the high courts.
We also ask the home secretary to review the inaccurate evidence used by the UKBA in determiningSri Lanka as a safe destination for deportation of those who had sought political asylum at a time when the repressive regime there is looking for excuses and scapegoats amongst the Tamil diaspora communities.

Tamil Solidarity calls for support from all as we prepare to rally within the next couple of weeks, directly in the Maidenhead constituency of Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP with Act Now human rights organisation, to highlight that she is helping the blatant denial of human rights. We will help her constituency understand that clear evidence exists to prove that her actions on deporting those who have opposed the Sri Lankan regime are ill advised.

This action will coincide with similar protest action which we staged with Act Now in the constituency of Liam Fox, MP for North Somerset, an active supporter of the criminal regime in Sri Lanka, where we garnered a lot of local support.
We call upon all to help with the future actions inNorth Somerset as well.

We also demand an end to mass deportation that coincides with aggressive privatisation and outsourcing strategies which the Con-Dem coalition seems to be taking forward building upon on the previous flawed immigration policies of the New Labour government.

Tamil Solidarity also calls for all to contact your MP and the Inflite Jet Centre who are facilitating this unjust deportation and demand they review the mounting evidence that their work is helping gross violation of human rights.

Amnesty International has warned that it is clearly not the right time for such mass deportations and that atrocities are still being committed and that it would clearly put many of these people in harms way. Please phone your MP today and send them a quick email requesting they act now before its too late. Tamil Solidarity can help with drafting of letters if and when needed.